Decorated article and method of producing the same



' andto the chemical action of the substance sufiiciently to withstand ordinary handling.

Patented July 21, 1931 UNITED TSTATES REISSUED PATENT OFFICE LAWRENCE C. BYCK AND GILBERT L. EEAKES, OF PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, AS-

SIG'NOBS T9 BAKELITE CORPORATION, 015 NEW YORK, N. Y A CORPORATION 01? DELAWARE BECOME-ED 'ABTIOLE AND METHOD OI PBODUCING THE BAKE Ho Drawing. Application filed June 80, 1922, Serial No. 572,085. Renewed August 8, 1928.

This invention relates toimprovements in methods of producingdecorated articles and has for its object to provide a method by means of which articles of this character may be economically manufactured and in which the decorative matter is incapable of being injured or marred.

The method relates to the production of articles of this character from substances which are capable of being hardened and rendered substantially insoluble and infusible.

More particularly, the method relates to the production of articles of this characterfrom phenolic condensation products, by which is meant those synthetic products which, in their initial state are hown as potentially reactive resins; that is, those reactive products of phenols and formaldehyde or their equivalents capable of "being hardened and rendered substantially insolubio and infusible upon being subjected to heat or to heat and pressure.

In its broad aspect the method consists in providing a base or layer of the substance, either in a hardened or semi-hardened state, having the decorative matter thereon, cover-, ing the decorative matter by a layer of the substance in a fluid or a semi-fluid state, and then subjecting'the mass to heat, or to heat and pressure, by means of which the layers willbe firmly bonded together to form a unitary solid block having the decorative matte firmly embedded therein. The block m ythen be shaped in any suitable manner to form an article of an desired character, such as a endant, watc charm, paper weight, umbre la handle, smokerzs pipe, napkin ring, vanity box, cigar holder, etc. e

The decorative matter may be in the form of an ornamental design, an emblem, a mono gram, a photograph or any other desired design, it may be applied to the hardened or semi-hardened base or layer in any suitable manner, and it may be colored or embellished as desired. The decorative matter should be of such character that it is-resistant to heat in which it is to be embedded or ofthe constituents thereof. It should also be cc paratively thin, and must be capable of bo ding ferences in expansion or to moisture.

Preferably the decorative matter is in the form of some type of photographic transfer, as, for example, autotype carbon tissue or the like, or it may be a decalcomania. Carbon tissue is desirable as it is well adapted for producing reproductions of a decorative naturefrom a photographic negative thereof in any well-known manner, whereby a number of articles may be produced having the same decorative matter embedded therein.

One preferred method embodying the invention will now be described, but it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto, as various modifications to the same may be made within the scope of the,

invention.

A base layer of a condensation product, such as bakelite, for example, is provided which may be of any desired shape, size or color, and which may be in a hardened state, or it may be in a semi-hardened state, in which case it is substantially insolubleand infnsible but may be softened by heating to a moderate temperature. The surface of the I base which is to receive the decorative matter is rendered substantially smooth in any suitable-manner, as by sand-papering or polishing the same. We have found that the decorative matter will adhere to the smooth surface of the base, without sizing or other adhesive, contrary to the usual practice when carbon transfers and the like are applied to substances such as porcelain, ivory, or-the like. The applying of the decorative matter to the surface of the base without an adhesive is a desirable feature.

Thecarbontransfer,is applied to the smooth surface of the base in sue a manner that the design will be placed in the desired position thereon; The design is then develo ed in place upon the base layer, in the 'usua manner. When the developed design is dry it will be in perfect contact with the smooth surface of the base and will adhere thereto The decorative may be left lain or it may gilded,ioolored, or em ished in any desired manner. It is possible .to produce many novel effects by combining va-,

rious colors of base material with suitable colors of design.

The base layer having the decorative matter applied thereto, either plain or embellished as above set forth is, when dry, placed within a suitable mould or receptacle and a layer of the substance in fluid o'r semi-fluid form is then applied thereto in such a manner as to cover the decorative matter to the desired depth. In order to do this, the condensation product in its'initial state of a potentially reactive resin, and of the desired color and transparency, is melted until it is suificiently fluid to pour over the decorative matter to completely cover the same.

The Whole is then heated with or without counterpressure, sufliciently to harden the fluid or semi-fluid material, and to further harden the base if same was in a semi-hardened state thereby uniting the whole into a ner.

It is, of course, understood that the adjacent portions or stratum, of which the block is composed, may be of any desired color. or colors, and of any desired degree of transparency. The portions may be of the same,

or of diflerent shadesor colors, and if desired the base portion or stratum upon which the decorative matter is applied may be opaque or substantially opaque, whereas the covering portion or stratum will, of course, be sufficiently transparent to permit the decorative matter to be seen. Also, the portion or stratum may be of any desired shape, size or thickness, depending upon the character of the article which it is desired to pro duce.

Furthermore, the respective portions or strata of the block during the process of manufacture may have difl'erent shapes and configurations imparted thereto, depending upon the character of the finished article desired. For instance, it may be found of advantage to form the lower portion or stratum which serves as a base to which the decorative matter is applied with a centrally located depression or protuberance to receive the transfer or embellishment after which the covering portion or stratum issuperimposed thereupon. We have sometimes found it also tobe of advantage to mold the base portion or stratum in such a way as to provide a covering portion or stratum of the transparent material extending outward and beyond the peripheral edge of the base portion or stratum, thus providing a transparent surround- -ing extension or frame to the embedded desi or; embellishment.

ile' we have described certain preferin the confines of the appended claims.

Having described our invention, we

1. The herein described method which includes providing a base, applyin decorative matter thereto, covering the ecorative matter with a transparent substance of suflicient fluidity to permit it to be poured over the decorative matter and capable of bein rendered hard when subjected to heat, su jecting the transparent substance to heat, to harden the same, and to secure it to the base to form a block.

2. The herein described method which includes providing a base applying decorative matter thereto, covering the decorative matter with a otentiall reactive resin in a fluid .state, har ening s'ai covering to secure it to the base to form a block.

3. The herein described method which includes providing a base of an insoluble and infusible substance, applying decorative matter thereto, covering the decorative matter with a transparent substance adapted to be flowed thereover and to be rendered insoluble and infusible, treating the transparent substance to harden the same and to render it insoluble and infusible and securing the hardenedtransparent substance to the base to form a block.

4. The herein described method which includes providing a base of condensation product, applying decorative matter thereto, covering the decorative matter with a condensation product of suflicient fluidity to be flowed over the decorative matter, and hardening the covering to secure it to the base to form a block;

5. The herein described method which includes providing a base of phenolic condensation product, applying decorative matter thereto, covering the decorative matter with a phenolic condensation product of suflicient fluidity to be flowed over the decorative matter, hardening the covering and securing it to the base to form a block. a

6. The herein described method which includes providing abase or a condensation product, applying decorative matter directl thereto, covering the decorative matter wit a potentiall reactive resin in a melted condition, har ening the covering and securing it to the base to form a block. l

7. The herein described method which consists in applying' decorative matter directly 7 to a base, covering the decorative matter with a transparent substance in fluid form, hardartificial resin in difierent colored product to form an article 0 a desired character. i

9. An article of manufacture, comprising a plurality of homogenously united layers of afphenolic condensation product, at least one 0 which is transparent and a decorative design visible between the layers.

10. An article of manufacture comprising i a plurality of homogenous layers of transarent phenolic condensation products and a ecoratlve design upon the surface of one layer and visible through the layers.

11. The herein described method which comprises applyin a design to a base formed of a transparent p enolic condensation product, coverlng the design with a transparent phenolic condensation product and uniting the base and transparent covering.

12. The herein described method which includes providing a base of an insoluble and infusible substance, applying decorative mat-- ter thereto, coveringthe decorative matter with a transparent substance ada ted-t0 be flowed thereover and to be rendere insoluble and infusible, treating the transparent substance to harden the same and to render it insoluble and infusible and securin the hardened transparent substance to t e base to form a block and subsequently forming the block to the desired form by machinin 13. A. process of manufacturing blo ks of artificial resin in differently colored layers consisting in pouring artificial resin in a liquid condition around hard artificial resin of the desired color, and subsequently hardsuing the block thus produced.

14. A process of manufacturin blocks of laycraconsisting in providing a base of artificial resin of one color and uring an artificial resin of a difierent co or in a liquid condition around said base, and subsequently hardening the block thus produced.

15. The process of manufacturin decorative blocks of artificial resin in differently colored layers, having embedded decorative matter between said layers which consists in providing a solid base of artificial resin of one color, applying decorative matter to said base, and pouring artificial resin of a difi'erent color in a 1i uid condition around said base and decorative matter, and subsequently hardening the block thus produced.

In testimoni whereof We have afixed our signatures to t is specification. v

, LAWRENCE C. BYCK GILBERT L. PEAKES. 

